To paraphrase Churchill’s words following the Second Battle of El Alamein: Google‘s announcement about their new venture to extend human life, Calico, is not the end, nor even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Since the dawn of civilization, humanity has been enslaved by the knowledge that no lifestyle choice, no medicine, no quirk of fate can enable anyone to live for more than a few decades without suffering progressive, inexorable decline in physical and mental function, leading inevitably to death. So soul-destroying has this knowledge been, for almost everyone, that we have constructed our entire society and world view around ways to put it out of our minds, mostly by convincing ourselves that the tragedy of aging is actually a good thing. And why not? After all, why be preoccupied about something one cannot affect?

And yet, there have always been those few who aimed high: who were not cowed by this fear, but who instead found fulfilment in dedicating their lives to the crusade to bring aging under some kind of medical control. The earliest of those efforts may seem almost laughable to us today in their naivety, but that is the nature of the initial, exploratory phase of any pioneering technological quest.

The exploratory phase never ends cleanly, but rather by a series of fits and starts: leaps of faith that a judicious combination of tried and tested elements can deliver more than the sum of its parts. Often that faith is misplaced and the design fails, but that’s still progress: what is learned from the failure goes to inspire the next design, and success is eventually achieved. And so it will be with the development of medicine to maintain youth. As with any technological goal that is high on humanity’s priorities and is consistent with the laws of physics, it’s just a matter of time.

As little as 20 years ago, when I joined the pitifully small band of academics who call themselves biogerontologists, the prospects for defeating aging were so bleak that it was widely considered unscientific even to discuss it: according to the respectable view, our only option was to continue discovering more about the nature of aging until, by some miracle in the distant future, our body of knowledge took sufficient shape to reveal a route to intervention. A string of advances in the late 1990s, mostly made by researchers not focused on aging per se, changed that: it allowed, for the first time, the formulation of a realistic divide-and-conquer strategy against mankind’s most formidable foe. Many components of this strategy were at a dauntingly early stage of development, but all could be described in sufficient detail to offer hope for foreseeable success. As so often in science, many established luminaries voiced skepticism, and some still do; but the plan progressively attracted the support of world-leading experts in all the relevant disciplines, and as it has done so, funding —albeit far too little to maximise the rate of progress —has materialized too.

Now is the right time for a commercial entity to get heavily involved. One of the key activities of SENS Research Foundation, as a non-profit, is proof-of-concept research on key components of the anti-aging arsenal that are still too early-stage to constitute an attractive business proposition for all but the most visionary investors. But we’ve always made clear that our ultimate goal is to kick-start a real anti-aging industry: not the essentially cosmetic industry that goes by that name today, but a bona fide rejuvenation biotechnology industry, providing people with truly comprehensive restoration and preservation of youthful mental and physical function however long they live. And yes, one side-effect of this advance—a side-effect that we should all celebrate —is that most people will live a great deal longer than today, and will do so in the prime of health.

The “beginning of the beginning” of the war on aging began in the 1990s. Since then, the battle for hearts and minds as to that quest’s feasibility—especially among the high-profile academics who occupy the pinnacle of opinion-formation—has been proceeding at full tilt. With Google’s decision to direct its astronomical resources to a concerted assault on aging, that battle may have been transcended: once financial limitations are removed, curmudgeons no longer matter. That’s why I think it is no exaggeration to state that the end of the beginning may have arrived. I won’t go so far as to say that my crusading job is done, but for sure it just got a whole lot easier.

Dr. Aubrey de Grey is a biomedical gerontologist and the Chief Science Officer of SENS Research Foundation. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Rejuvenation Research, the world’s highest-impact peer-reviewed journal focused on intervention in aging. The views expressed are solely his own.

Our aging is a natural weakening of energy processes that create
living matter of the human body. These processes can be artificially activated,
enhance, and man can rejuvenate his old body, and live with no time limit. The
human genome has already deciphered - no aging genes. It can be done today. Iknowhow.

Aging is a natural slow strangulation of the body. The second
respiratory organ of the body - its integument, skin, the largest organ in the
body - wear outeventually, covered with wrinkles, becomes bloodless,
create a shortage of oxygen to the internal organs. Skin turns into an old bag
that is not breathable. Senile diseases - the result of suffocation, the result
of increasing oxygen deficiency.Death from old age is
a complete stop breathing. No oxygen, no life. Urgent need to save and restore
the skin first, its vital functions - breathing, metabolism. This is the work
of dermatologists, physiotherapists, but not geneticists and biologists.This is notBiology
of Aging, but thePhysiology of Aging. BetterPhysiology Rejuvenation. This is why the biological direction in the gerontology does
not provide solution. Many decades.

Art Levinson, unfortunately, like other researchers, ignores
the Natural laws in their studies of aging.

Result: dozens of fruitless theories
of aging, no explanation, just promises, complete misunderstanding of the
nature of aging, and people continue to grow old and die. According
to these Natural laws man can keep his body young without time limit, and can
make his old body young again as he makes a weak body strong. The
experience of medicine and athletic development gives reason to believe that
70-80 year old man can make his body 30-40 years old in 1-2 years.
Impossible?

Our
research ("Three Layer functional model and energy exchange concept of
aging process" Valery Chuprin & William Mihajlovic) argues that old human
organism is able to rejuvenate its aged body and make it young again, as it
restores damaging, disease, weak body makes strong. This conclusion is
confirmed by the experience of medicine, and athletic development. You should
help organism to fight aging. Without help, its live processes weaken and fade over
time.People call it aging and death.

Calico, or the “California Life Company,” aims to
extend life by tackling aging and disease. Allow us to offer for
your consideration our conception of aging and rejuvenation and little
practical experience, which confirms the correctness of this study. We are
sure this is the way to eternal youth.

Old skin is the main and
basic evidence of old age. Skin getting older first in the body. Old skin makes
the whole body old. But the old skin can regain their youthful structure and
function. It's like a muscle and skeleton develops from stem cells and can
develop. And young skin will make the old body young again.

Aging is not a disease. A disease is an abnormal condition
that affects the body of an organism.(Wikipedia). Aging is a normal condition.
Aging is a natural attenuation over time energetic processes that create living
matter. This is in accordance with the laws of thermodynamics. There is no
perpetual motion in the surrounding nature. Aging is not necessarily, it can be
avoided, and the aged body can be rejuvenated.

The name "Biology of Aging" is incorrect. This
statement makes a wrong direction, which has no solution. The correct name is
"Physiology of Destruction." We can see that the shell of the human
body, its skin, is destroying over time. This is a natural process. As a result,
the skin breath weakened, metabolism too. Anoxia internal organs comes. They
start to hurt. Skin continues to deteriorate. Nobody stops this process. When
destroyed kidney, heart or other organ, all alarmed. But when most large and
important organ of the body is destroying - nobody gives it meaning. That's why
death occurs. Still wondering - why? Funny and sad.

Aubrey de Grey, Feb 2013: "We think we have a fighting chance of keeping people so healthy that their risk of death each year is the same - however old they were, how ever long ago they were born - as it was when they were in their 20s. And that is very low indeed."

Cell senescence is most likely caused by a deficiency of cannabinoids in the endocannabinoid system. The science is starting to show that certain cannabinoids from the cannabis plant are actually essential nutrients that are currently missing from the mammalian diet. There is much research to be done (which will take place as soon as the law allows it), but it appears that dietary cannabis will hold the key to youthful longevity.

Until governments spend money on research and help the people who are in the field of science and medicine nothing will progress fast. If one wants to live longer/hundreds of years than I think it will have to be done with machine replacing body parts.

It is wrinkled, flabby, bloodless skin. You can not say that a person is 80 years of age, if he has a resilient, ruddy, full-blooded skin.

.....Might there be a direct link between certain diseases and the aging process? -

Yes, there is a direct link. A tumbledown skin performs its breathing, metabolic and other functions by 15-20%. The internal organs do not get enough oxygen, poisonous metabolic products, fall ill.

It is necessary to restore the young functions and structure of the old skin. To do this artificially stimulate the mechanisms of skin regenerations. They restore skin’s programmed youthful structures and functions. Young skin means young body. Even if person is 80 years old.

Just breathing and nutrition for the human body,
this natural energy machine is not enough to make it work without aging. The
body requires artificial stimulation of its life processes in order to stay
young. This nobody does. Everyone is waiting for the elixir of youth to eat or
drink. This is wrong.Therefore the
body is gradually destroyed (aging) and dies.

But the right artificial
stimulation allows bald head covered by hair (personal experience), and
bloodless, dull, wrinkled skin to become rosy, supple, wrinkle-free. So all the
old body can become young again.

Western civilization is based on fear so naturally they day and night think and search how to increase lifespan ten years, be remember you never conquer death. just read second law of thermodynamic which clear say even sun moon will finish how can man live forever. .My experience above 80 man is unable work enthusiastically..What is meaning live vegetable life burden to family and society?

The war on ageing began a decade ago with experts such as Dr Betz who coined the term Healthspan, the number of years a person lives free of chronic disabling disease. His new book on Amazon, Resveratrol, is there a limit to human lifespan, sets forth a science based prescription which can add up to 10 healthy, vital years to a person's life. It is an easy read for laymen but is also backed up by a huge references section that physicians will find very useful.

There are two main ways in gerontology. First one, to save
the lives of people still living. Second, to create human longevity. The second
way I do not know. But the first one is simple: we should to revive the young
function and structures the vital organ that to 70-90 years has worn down to a
critical state, after which comes the death of the organism. It is our skin,
the shell of the body, its lungs, kidneys and external brain, nervous,
endocrine, circulatory system, etc. More Ashley Montagu pointed out the
importance of this organ.For 70-90
years, it performs much wear and 15-20% of its functions. Hence, the diseases
of internal organs, which strongly depend on it, hence the death of the
organism.

Is it possible to restore young structures and functions of
old skin? It is. Skin as muscles, bones derived from stem cells, and can
develop. But nobody does this. Or does wrong. It is matter of technique. Updated,
hardened skin, this largest organ, will allow organism stay young and live
without time constraints. There are no genes or programs of aging in the body.
The human genome is transcribed. Why not check it? This can be done today. It
is not expensive, but it will bring huge amount of money.
I wish you all good health and to stay young. Our aging
and death is the result of misunderstanding the nature of this phenomenon by
gerontologists. This error has already been fixed.

What can man do living 200 years? General experiences telling us man bored after 80 when his mental and physical energy diminished,how can he spend life,which kind of aim he create in his life.How we solve over population problem,.I know enlarge lifespan is very old wish of mankind.no one want to die. I think nature never allow to us extend lifespan

Molecular biology is now expanding at an explosive rate. What would
happen of we pushed that rate a little -or even a lot- further? Strange
as it may seem, some of us don't want to grow old and die! There are
actually people out there who do not want an appointment within several
decades or so with the grave or the furnace.

Aging is now an approachable challenge. We may not 'cure death' but we can certainly hope to push our biological expiration date back a ways and allow humanity to benefit from the wisdom and experience of years wielded by healthy people the world over.

Congratulations Dr. de Grey! I feel positive that Calico would not exist today were it not for your efforts. Your SENS structure and the recently published "Hallmarks of Aging" provide the frameworks that can foster serious progress towards "solving death". Thank you for your tireless efforts on behalf of all humanity.

Dr. Aubrey de Grey will speak at the Venturists' cryonics convention in Don Laughlin's Riverside Resort in Laughlin, Nevada, on Friday night, October 25., 2013, at 8:00 PM.

"Title of Presentation: A Biologist's View on why cryonics is feasible. Many non-biologists persume that cryonics must be fantasy because it is not mainstream. This is a reasonable inference for those who do not appreciate how appallingly balkanised biology is, with almost all biologists being expert in only a very narrow area and having no time to study other areas. Since a field's reputation for infeasibility is a reason not to pay attention it, this parlous situation is self-fulfilling. In this talk I will see to rectify it."

Right, the process of aging is no more 'made of magic' in a person than it is in an automobile. We know how to keep automobiles running indefinitely with proper maintenance and repair. There is no absolute technical barrier to applying the same methods to keep us running indefinitely. The only difference is that the level of knowledge, tooling and materials needed to maintain and repair humans is far more complex than that needed to restore a '57 Chevy or a computer or an airplane. But the principles involved; the application of procedures and methods needed for maintenance and repair, are exactly the same.

@RameshRaghuvanshiOrdinary old people (70-80 years) can develop
their muscles and become a world champion in weightlifting (Igor Goldman, 78
years old. Weightlifter, Russia). This means that a person can develop,revive
his dying skin and make it young and wrinkle-free. Оur skin is the first (or second) lungs of the body. If they work not good, it starts to hurt the internal organs, and the body dies. We talk about what the
human body can stay young in 100 years. But death is always possible.

@MiserblOF WILT: whole body interdiction of lengthening telomeres. Admittedly, i find this is the least satisfying theory of De Gray's. But the man truly is a gawdam genius. My IQ went up just being close to his beard.

@ValeryChuprin@RameshRaghuvanshi One or two examples are not law,we must consider majority .My observation is most people unable to work after 80 .many suffered from chronic diseases after 70 this is common picture world over.That is why we must except old age is part and parcel of our life and face it bravely and joyfully